Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Malcolm Noonan has stated that one compensation claim under the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) per individual household is permitted.
This is regardless of the number of bog plots owned by an individual within any bog encompassed by the scheme.
Independent TD Seán Canney had asked the minister whether a bog owner with two plots can designate a second household that will use the second plot to receive compensation when they have lost the right to cut turf on the bog but have not received any compensation.
The CTCCS was established in 2011 for domestic turf cutters affected by the cessation of turf cutting on designated raised bogs.
It comprises a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog. The index-linked rate of compensation for 2024 is €1,839, according to the minister.
Noonan added that one of the objectives of the introduction of the CTCCS is to compensate families for the lack of access to fuel for domestic home heating as a result of the cessation of turf cutting.
The minister stated that his department would consider an application from the second household, if the CTCCS criteria are met.
Turf-cutting compensation
To qualify for the CTCCS scheme applicants must meet certain criteria including:
- Having a legal interest/ownership or turbary right in the designated bog since May 2010;
- Cutting turf during the relevant five-year qualifying period;
- The turbary is not exhausted.
He added that additional bog plots not covered by CTCCS may qualify for the Protected Raised Bog Restoration Incentive Scheme (PRBRIS).
This is a “once off” area-based compensation scheme from property right holders who wish to have their lands included as part of the restoration scheme, or where access is required for restoration works within a designated raised bog.
Applicants seeking further information are urged to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).